Romney closes 12-point gap to tie Obama in Virginia, poll finds

7/19/12 6:02 AM EDT

Mitt Romney has closed a 12-point gap to tie with President Obama 44-44 in the latest Quinnipiac poll released Thursday.

This compares to a 50 – 42 percent lead for President Obama in a March 20 survey by the independent Quinnipiac ...University and a 47 – 42 percent Obama lead June 7...

By a narrow 47 – 44 percent, voters say Romney would do a better job on the economy. But voters support 59 – 36 percent Obama’s call to raise income taxes on households making more than $250,000 per year. Support is strong among all income groups – except voters in households making more than $250,000 per year, where 48 percent support the idea and 51 percent oppose it.

“Virginia voters are sharply split along gender and political lines about the presidential race. The two candidates equally hold their own political bases and are splitting the key independent vote down the middle,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.